Lou Modestino sends us a report by Joseph Srigley of TobyChristie, that Gio Ruggiero, the defending NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year (ROTY), will get the nod to compete in a pair of NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series events this season for Joe Gibbs Racing.
STAMFORD, Conn. – February 4, 2026 – The Monster Energy 2026 SMX World ChampionshipTM series and Monster Energy AMA Supercross season continues with an action-packed February with stops at four venues, including the iconic Daytona International Speedway, AT&T Stadium, and Lumen Field. All four races this month will be presented across Peacock and NBCSN.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – With the pedal down to history, FOX Sports takes the green flag for its record-breaking 23rd Daytona 500 broadcast this month, the most by any television network in NASCAR history. In preparation for the milestone, FOX Sports unveils its broadcaster lineup for the 2026 Daytona 500, Daytona Speedweeks and FOX NASCAR season, its 26th consecutive season of coverage, also a record for any network.
CrowdStrike Racing by APR Won’t Be Denied in Taking First LMP2 Triumph
By Holly Cain
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Add yet another historic victory to Roger Penske’s iconic career of high achievement. Team Penske kicked off its 60th anniversary season Sunday with the overall victory in the 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona – Penske’s third straight win in the world-renowned sports car race. It featured an all-time Rolex 24 record attendance at the Daytona International Speedway road course to kick off the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
Brazilian Felipe Nasr drove the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 across the finish line 1.569 seconds ahead of Brit Jack Aitken in the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R after a particularly spirited battle through the final hour between the two. The No. 24 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8 was third, 21 seconds behind the winner, in the team’s first race running the IMSA BMW GTP program.
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Jan. 27, 2026) – Midwestern short-track star Luke Fenhaus will make his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut in the Feb. 14 United Rentals 300 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
The 21-year-old racer from Wausau, Wisconsin, will drive the No. 5 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Hettinger Racing, a team that is also making its O’Reilly Series debut at Daytona.
Northeastern correspondent Lou Modestino checks in with a Frontstretch report by Kevin Rutherford….
IMSA: What’s New, What’s Not, and What’s Brewing in the Record Books
By David Phillips
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Admit it. This time of year, even the most enthusiastic gearhead grows a trifle weary re-re-hashing last racing season, clicking-on “breaking news” of new liveries, or prognosticating about new season adjustments and tweaks.
Beyond the talk, racing is about to begin. It’s almost time to fasten your seatbelts for the 2026 Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Since 1966 and the first 24-hour race at Daytona International Speedway, branded the “24 Hour Daytona Continental,” the unofficial kickoff to the auto racing season starts in Florida. It’s a world class sports car racing featuring 12 of IMSA’s 18 automotive manufacturer partners, 60 cars, and 228 drivers from 32 countries that are among the world’s best to kick off the new IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup seasons.
Invariably, there is much new this weekend. It includes refreshed cars and driver rosters, new alliances between teams and manufacturers, and a bevy of already battle tested cars and lineups.
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (January 22, 2026) – After a successful first season at Front Row Motorsports (FRM), highlighted by two wins in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Chandler Smith will make his first attempt for the team in the Cup Series driving the No. 36 Ford Mustang Dark Horse in the Daytona 500.
NASCAR and Kaulig Racing Join Tributes, Highlighted by Return of Biffle’s Iconic Stylized Numerals at Daytona
CONCORD, NC (January 22, 2026) – When RFK Racing’s cars roll onto the grid to open the 2026 season, they will do so honoring the legacy of Greg Biffle. Paying respect to a driver who helped build the organization, the team will begin a season-long tribute at the Cook Out Clash Feb. 1, followed by a special visual presentation during Daytona 500 activities Feb 11-15.
The remembrance begins at Bowman Gray Stadium as all RFK Racing cars will carry a circular memorial decal above the B-post during the Cook Out Clash. The artwork pays homage with the words, “The Biff 16, In Loving Memory of Greg Biffle.” As an enduring memorial, this artwork will adorn the RFK Racing cars in every race on the 2026 schedule.
CONCORD, N.C.: After setting the fastest lap in preseason ARCA Menards Series practice at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway last weekend, Nitro Motorsports confirmed that three-time ARCA race winner Gus Dean will join the organization for the 2026 season-opening General Tire 200 at the “World Center of Racing” on February 14.
Dean, a Bluffton, S.C., native, will return to the ARCA Menards Series for the first time since Michigan International Speedway in 2024 and will look to extend his streak of Daytona International Speedway victories after capturing an emotional win in February 2024.
